2018 FIFA World Cup will be the first with instant replay

Soccer (or, to the rest of the world, football) traditionalists have shunned video replay for years, claiming it would alter the sanctity of referees’ calls. But well-documented flubbed calls like those that erroneously eliminated England and Mexico in the 2010 World Cup have nudged FIFA into considering the technology. At long last, after getting implemented at professional levels, it’s headed to the game’s biggest stage: On-field instant replay is coming to the World Cup for the first time in 2018, when Russia hosts the tournament.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino says video assistant referees will be used at the World Cup for the first time at 2018 tournament in Russia

— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) April 26, 2017

Video replay came to American football years ago, filling out professional stadiums in 2007 and college-level ball in 2010. Ref-assisting technology started trickling into soccer thereafter, with FIFA finally bringing goal-line tracking games in 2012 and video replay into general matches last year. Hopefully, on-field replay will prevent the gaffes that have haunted past World Cups.

Source: CBS Sports

Google experiment promises clean nighttime shots from your phone

Many modern smartphones can take decent photos when the sun goes down, but their noisy, washed out images still don’t hold a candle to the shots from a high-end DSLR. Google researcher Florian Kainz might have a way of closing that gap at least some of the time, however. In response to a challenge from one of his team members, he wrote an experimental Android app that helps take exceptionally clean photos in even the darkest conditions. The software gives you manual control over exposure, focus distance and ISO sensitivity, all of which are crucial to low-light photography. When you tap the shutter button, the app takes a burst of up to 64 photos. After that, it’s a matter of some calculation: Kainz eliminates the noise by computing the mean of the frames, and can remove artifacts by subtracting the mean of frames shot with tape over the sensor.

As for the results? They’re not perfect (you’re looking at one example up top), but they’re miles above what you’re used to from your handset. Google’s Nexus 6P and Pixel could take well-exposed, color-accurate and largely noise-free photos in extremely dark situations. Kainz even managed a decent photo of the night sky using nothing but starlight. The approach can compensate for motion, too, so you might not need a tripod to stabilize your phone.

Right now, the approach isn’t practical for most people. It requires a lot of after-the-fact processing on a computer, and the pictures still aren’t as high-resolution as what you tend to get out of DSLRs. Also, you certainly wouldn’t want to use this for fast-moving objects. However, Kainz believes that a phone could handle everything by itself with the appropriate app. If the experiment translates from Google’s labs to real-world code, you could take many nighttime photos that are virtually impossible today.

Source: Google Research Blog

Replacing your console with a gaming PC is a brilliant, idiotic idea

There was a time when PC gaming was tied to the desk. Every game, from puzzling adventures to heart-pounding shooters, could be enjoyed only from the same, stodgy, often uncomfortable position. The classic joke of a PC gamer playing from the corner of a basement had a bit of truth to it. It was a hobby that required isolation.

Thankfully, that has changed in recent years. Computers like the MSI Trident, Alienware Alpha, and Zotac Zbox have bridged the gap. They all fit comfortably alongside a PlayStation 4 – many are smaller, in fact – and they offer all the perks of a PC. These console-like computers can be a gamer’s best friend, and their worst enemy.

The performance is unparalleled…

The PC has always enjoyed a performance edge over console hardware, and it’s not restricted to big, heavy desktops. Zotac’s Magnus EN1080K, for instance, packs a seventh-generation Intel processor with Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080, a graphics chip that pushes almost nine teraflops of raw computer power. That easily bests even the upcoming Xbox Scorpio, and it’s about five times more powerful than a standard PlayStation 4. Even Alienware’s Alpha, the most modestly equipped of its peers, beats the Xbox One S and PlayStation 4 in raw performance.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Visually, it pays off. PC titles usually offer more detailed textures, better post-process effects, superior anti-aliasing, and more realistic shadows. Despite that, games usually run more quickly on PC. Consoles almost always target 30 frames per second, while the PC can regularly flex its muscles and obtain 60 FPS or higher. The net result is more attractive, more fluid gameplay.

…but so is the price.

Even the PlayStation 4 Pro retails for just $400. While that’s a lot to some console gamers, it’s chump change in the PC world, where even the Alienware Alpha starts at $500. The MSI Trident 3 we recently reviewed was powerful, but it also retails for $1,300. Top-of-the-line custom models, like Origin’s Chronos, can top $3,000.

The problem is obvious. That’s a lot of money. A living room PC may beat the visual quality of a console, but does it matter enough to justify a price that’s several times higher? Most people will answer no. Even enthusiasts find it hard to tolerate. After all, hardcore PC gamers are guaranteed to already own a fast desktop, and they’re not eager to buy the same hardware twice.

The game library is incredible…

More games come to PC in most genres, and entire genres don’t appear on console.

Of course, there’s more to price than just the hardware. Games are also expensive, and there, PC titles tend to have an edge. They go on sale more frequently, through a wider variety of stores. New titles hit $20 on Steam or Humble Bundle way before they plummet to the same lows on Amazon or the PlayStation Store.

This isn’t because of goodwill towards PC gamers, of course. Prices trend low because there’s a ton of competition. More games come to PC in most genres, and entire genres that don’t appear on console. MOBAs, the world’s most popular game genre, is almost entirely missing on console. On PC, there’s plenty to choose from. The same can be said of real-time and turn-based strategy, massively multiplayer games, hardcore racing simulators.

…but the controls can suck.

Microsoft’s wise decision to make Xbox controllers work with Windows has unified the controls of games that debut on both platforms. That’s a big deal, and it makes most top-tier games playable from the couch no matter what’s running them.

Yet there are still limitations. In some cases, it’s due to the superiority of native PC controls. You can play a shooter on a living room console, controller in hand, and it works alright in single-player. Jump online, though, and you’ll be dead faster than you can say “thumbsticks suck.”

Other games don’t support couch-friendly controls in any form. This is true of most strategy games, a great number of PC-only indie games, and some racing titles. Yes, you can play from your couch with a wireless mouse. But you probably don’t want to. We’ve tried it many times, and it’s a great way to screw up your shoulders or neck. Keyboards and mice were designed to be used by an office worker sitting upright in a desk chair, not a gamer slouching comfortably on a couch.

The versatility can’t be matched…

Even if it’s no fun to use a keyboard and mouse from the couch, you’ll still want to hook them up. Why? Simple. A living room PC can do so much more than game. Just like a desktop or laptop, a living room PC can be used for almost any task imaginable, from streaming live sports, to viewing PowerPoint presentations.

In fact, a living room PC with a decent wireless mouse can replace almost every other device found in a home theater. Forget about a Roku or Chromecast. Forget about your home DVR. Forget about plugging in a USB drive to view family photos. In short, a living room PC is still a PC, and that means it can be adapted for many tasks.

…but the annoyances are hard to tolerate.

Unfortunately, a living room PC is still a PC, and that means it suffers from all the usual bugs and annoyances. An email notification is never going to interrupt a suspenseful episode of Game of Thrones on Roku, but that’ll become a frequent occurrence on PC. You’ll have to update with all the usual updates, as well, so get used to the seeing the Windows 10 Update screen.

It remains true that bugs are more common on a computer than a game console.

And then you must deal with the bugs. Console fans often overstate the problems found on PC, and modern game consoles aren’t immune to crashing, but it remains true that bugs are more common on a computer than a game console. We aren’t just talking about hard crashes, which are rare. Instead, it’s the small stuff that becomes an issue. A game might fail to load properly because it wasn’t run in administrator mode, the Wi-Fi adapter might occasionally lose connection, or a USB port might go on the fritz.

Consoles may have problems, but they tend to be rudimentary. A thing works, or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, then a simple reset usually fixes it. If that doesn’t work, then the console is likely broken, or the game itself is bugged. The rabbit hole of troubleshooting goes much deeper on PC, and that can become an unwanted time-sink.

Beware the living room PC, embrace the living room PC

We say all this as a warning. Buying a PC as a console replacement may seem like a good idea, and it does have its benefits. Yet there are also a lot of issues, none of which are easy to resolve. Alienware, MSI, or Zotac can do little to fix the problems above. The issues – at least for now – are inherent to the PC experience, baked into the operating system, or the way computers are constructed.

If you want to buy a living room PC, do it. Just make sure you’re doing it because you want a gaming PC in your living room, and not because you want a more powerful version of a console.

Man arrested for allegedly assaulting a robot security guard in Silicon Valley

Why it matters to you

Just in case you ever had an intention of harming a robot, be aware than it can get you locked up.

People show their concern about the impending artificial intelligence-fuelled rise of the robots in all manner of different ways.

One man in Mountain View, California, this week decided to take out what we can only imagine to be his fears about the impact of increased automation on the human workforce by allegedly assaulting an innocent robot in a Silicon Valley parking lot.

The robot caught up in in the incident was K5, one of the smart sensor-equipped 300-pound security robots designed by robotics company Knightscope. The assailant allegedly knocked over K5, which immediately registered the assault and sounded an alarm. The suspect attempted to run but was ultimately arrested by Mountain View Police.

“We are incredibly proud of the outcome and believe this to be a true testament to the technology we developed here in Silicon Valley,” Stacy Dean Stephens, Knightscope’s vice president of marketing and sales, told the U.K.-based Independent newspaper. “We are equally happy to report that the robot has recuperated from his injuries and is back on patrol keeping our office and employees safe again.”

K5 reportedly suffered only superficial injuries, including a number of scratches on its back, during the attack.

“I think this is a pretty pathetic incident because it shows how spineless the drunk guys in Silicon Valley really are because they attack a victim who doesn’t even have any arms,” a Mountain View resident told ABC7 News.

While man-on-robot crime is still something of a new phenomenon, it is not totally without precedent. In 2015, an intoxicated man in Japan attacked one of SoftBank’s emotion-reading Pepper robots, kicking and damaging the bot.

Personally, we would steer clear of fighting with robots, regardless of the circumstances. After all, you never know which one might know Boston Dynamics’ terrifying dog robot on a first-name basis.

AMD updates latest Ryzen drivers with new power plan to boost performance

Why it matters to you

If your PC uses a new Ryzen CPU, then you’ll want to install the latest driver update on your Windows 10 64-bit machine.

AMD’s new Ryzen chips based on the company’s Zen CPU architecture are winning some accolades for providing good performance at competitive pricing. The high-end Ryzen 7 series were the first to ship, and the midrange Ryzen 5 series chips have also hit the market.

Anyone looking to optimize a Ryzen-based system is likely keeping up with the latest driver and software updates. With just such people in mind, AMD released its latest AMD Ryzen chipset drivers with an eye on improving performance — at least for Windows 10 64-bit users.

According to AMD, version 17.10 of the drivers is aimed specifically at maximizing the performance of Ryzen-based systems by adjusting for how Windows 10 manages power states. By default, Windows 10 is configured for its “Balanced” power profile, even on desktops, as opposed to the “High Performance” power plan that’s been demonstrated to show significant performance benefits.

The new Ryzen drivers get around the Windows 10 default by installing a new “AMD Ryzen Balanced” power plan. The primary advantage is that while the Windows 10 power plan imposes a 30 millisecond delay in switching power states, the AMD power plan takes advantage of the Ryzen chipset’s ability to switch power states within 1 millisecond when the chip itself is in control. An additional benefit is that the new drivers avoid “parking” cores, which create additional latency costs.

The new drivers enable PCs to take full advantage of the processors’ AMD SenseMI technology, which enables such rapid adjustments to voltages and frequencies and can thus optimize performance. The new AMD Ryzen Balanced power plan is meant to provide the same performance benefits as the Windows 10 High Performance power plan, and indeed it does, as the following chart attests.

To enable the new AMD Ryzen Balanced power plan, first install the latest AMD chipset drivers on your Windows 10 64-bit machine. Then, open the Control Panel, click on Power Options, and then select the plan from the list of options.

Once the new power plan is in effect, you should see improved performance in a variety of games and power-hungry applications. Again, the update is only for Windows 10 64-bit machines.

The FCC’s plan to end net neutrality is here, and the fight is going to get ugly

America’s telecom regulator has made public its intention to roll back net neutrality laws. Here’s what you need to know.

This week, the FCC, America’s telecom regulator, announced its intention to bring about the end of net neutrality in an official sense, removing the Title II classification that has been bestowed upon the Internet and its service providers since the decision was made in 2015 to do so.

In a speech, Ajit Pai, a former FCC Commissioner under Chairman Tom Wheeler and, under President Trump, Chairman of a tonally different regulator, laid his plan to claw back the consumer protections enabled by Title II. In short, net neutrality prevents Internet service providers from differentiating the type of traffic going across its pipes, both wired and wireless, abrogating the use of “fast lanes” for content providers that choose to pay for it.

Image credit: FCC

In his speech, Pai said that Title II classification was put forth as a way for the FCC at the time to assert power and prove its independence, and that it has hurt innovation and, in turn, consumers. “So what happened after the Commission adopted Title II? Sure enough, infrastructure investment declined. Among our nation’s 12 largest Internet service providers, domestic broadband capital expenditures decreased by 5.6% percent, or $3.6 billion, between 2014 and 2016, the first two years of the Title II era. This decline is extremely unusual. It is the first time that such investment has declined outside of a recession in the Internet era,” he said.

Removing Title II classification from Internet traffic will have the following advantages, according to Pai:

• It will bring high-speed Internet access to more Americans
• It will create jobs
• It will boost competition
• It is the best path toward protecting Americans’ online privacy

ISPs have put up roadblocks for consumers when given the opportunity.

But opponents of the repeal say that there is no reason to remove the classification, and that competition amongst the U.S. service providers has thrived since the change. The FCC claims that it should not be able to “micromanage” the Internet and has come out against forcing service providers to stop zero-rating programs like T-Mobile Binge On or AT&T’s Sponsored Data, which it says promotes a healthy marketplace and provides greater choice to consumers.

In an interview with Reason.com, a conservative website aimed at “free minds and free market,” Pai said that “we were not living in a digital dystopia in the years leading up to 2015. By contrast, actually, the commercialization of the internet in the 1990s up to 2015 represented I think the … one of the most incredible free market innovations in history. With light touch regulation, broadband providers spent 1.5 trillion dollars on infrastructure. Companies like Google and Facebook and Netflix became household names precisely because we didn’t have the government micromanaging how the internet would operate. That Clinton-era framework is something I think served us well and going forward I hope it continues to serve us well.”

“These rules, Title II rules were designed to regulate Ma Bell, and the promise with Ma Bell, the deal with the government was, we’ll give you a monopoly as long as you give universal service to the country. As a result, for decades, we didn’t see innovation in the network we didn’t see innovation in phones and it’s when you have a competitive marketplace and you let go of that impulse to regulate everything preemptively, that you finally get to see more of a competitive environment.”

But ISPs have put up roadblocks for consumers when given the opportunity. One only needs to look at the lawsuits levelled at AT&T and Verizon around their old unlimited plans, which were silently throttled after a particular data cap was hit. These days, those unlimited plans make it very clear when throttling will come into effect. On the broadband side, Verizon was sued by the City of New York for not following through with its contractual commitment to provide Fios access to all New Yorkers.

It’s no surprise that the big U.S. carriers support the decision to remove Title II classification.

Pai says that he isn’t opposed to net neutrality itself, just a heavy regulatory hand overseeing internet service providers that could limit customer choice and, in turn, competition. He thinks that Title I classification, which was established for broadband providers in the Clinton era, is the right compromise, and that under his proposal he would encourage, but not force, ISPs to follow net neutrality rules by codifying them in their terms of service — which could be easily changed, even retroactively, without informing consumers. It’s no surprise that U.S. ISPs are already coming out in support of such a change.

Verizon issued a statement saying that, while it supports net neutrality, “[it] also supports Chairman Pai’s proposal to roll back Title II utility regulation on broadband. Title II (or public utility regulation) is the wrong way to ensure net neutrality; it undermines investment, reduces jobs and stifles innovative new services. And by locking in current practices and players, it actually discourages the increased competition consumers are demanding.”

Sprint said something similar:

“Sprint has always supported an open internet and will continue to do so. We recognize that our customers demand access to the content, applications, and devices of their choice and as a competitive wireless carrier, we always strive to meet our customers’ needs.

“Chairman Pai’s proposed rulemaking provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to share their views and work with the FCC to remove uncertainties and refine the rules that protect and ensure an open internet. Sprint believes that competition provides the best protection to consumers. Promoting robust competition and ensuring consumers have real choice among competing internet providers is the best way for the FCC to achieve its open internet objectives. Sprint looks forward to working with the FCC, consumers, and content providers towards that end.”

T-Mobile and AT&T haven’t yet issued comments, but have both previously come out in support of the reclassification. A group of companies, including Facebook and Google, oppose the change, and have previously filed briefs with the FCC to that effect.

The next step for Pai is to publish the full proposal and then put the Commission itself to a vote on May 18th. If approved, the FCC will open the proposal up to public debate before codification later in the year.

Every PlayStation VR game with HOTAS support

If you’re going to fly in VR, you might as well go all in and pick up a HOTAS.

In much the same way that racing wheels with pedals make driving games in VR feel a lot more realistic, flight games in VR are improved dramatically when you add a Hands On Throttle And Stick (or HOTAS) controller. These controllers allow you to really punch the throttle forward when you want to accelerate, or quickly flip your ship around when fighting in space. You can do these things with a normal controller, but if a game supports HOTAS controllers the difference in how that experience feels in VR is quickly evident.

You can get a HOTAS controller for the PlayStation 4 for fairly cheap, but not every game supports this hardware. Here’s a quick list of the PlayStation VR games offering HOTAS support now, planning to offer support later, or launching later this year with support planned out of the box.

Read more at VR Heads!

Google Trips gets new ways to make your next vacation better

New features let you find and share everything easier to make a vacation stress-free like it should be.

Planning your vacation can be a lot of work. And when you’re done figuring it all out you need to get it organized and put somewhere that you can use it. Google Trips can help and some new features make it even easier.

Keeping track of your reservations is now easier because everything is in one place in one app. The new Google Trips keeps it all on one tab and lets you share any of it with the tap of a button. The person you’re sharing with will get an email with all the details, and see them in the Google Trips app as well.

The best travel apps for Android

The next new feature lets you instantly update details for flights, car rentals, and hotel or restaurant reservations even if you haven’t received any confirmation. Press the plus button while you’re in the reservation section and enter all the details.You can even add notes that don’t fit into a specific category.

Crowdsourcing is a great way to discover new things and you can now download destinations that have trended towards the top.

Finally, train and bus reservations are organized right along with flight and hotel reservations.

Having an app that keeps all your travel plans in one place makes things easier for everyone traveling. Being able to download it all so you can see it when you don’t have a connection makes it even better. With these new features, Google Trips is the app you need to use for your next vacation.

Will Google launch its own Bluetooth headphones soon? (Probably not)

The internet lit up this afternoon at the thought of new hardware from Google, but unfortunately, things are not what they seem.

Liliputing spotted a new product that recently passed through the Federal Communication Commission: a pair of Google-branded, over-ear headphones with active noise-canceling, a built-in microphone, and Micro USB charging. There were even images that showed the headphones, which have the model number GID5B and also include a traditional audio cable, with Google’s trademark colours surrounding the power button.

• Google may release three Pixel devices this year
• Google teams up with Yi to launch new Jump VR camera rig for pros

Everybody assumed that meant Google had secretly developed new wireless hardware for consumers, or at the very least, it made some swag gear for its upcoming Google I/O event in May. But, at the same time, they looked a little boring, and so it wasn’t long before reports came out that dashed all our hopes. Android Police noted the headphones are probably an upgrade to existing headphones that Google gives to its employees.

Google

So, good for them, but boo for us. We’ve contacted Google for a comment and will keep you posted as we learn more. In the meantime, check out Pocket-lint’s Google I/O 2017 round-up to see what else the company might actually announce for consumers.

• Google I/O 2017 developer event will be held on 17-19 May

Google Home just became the perfect sous-chef for your kitchen

Google Home now serves up numerous guided recipe instructions.

Anyone who owns a voice-activated smart speaker, including Amazon Echo, knows it’s perfect for the kitchen. Don’t know how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? Ask your speaker. Want to set a timer? Ask your speaker. Want to cook a pizza? Ask your speaker for a recipe. Unfortunately, Google Home’s assistant had trouble with that last bit. While Alexa could tap into Allrecipe to serve up 60,000 recipes, Google Assistant was more limited in what it could do.

Until now. Google has expanded the number of recipes available on Google Assistant by adding step-by-step instructions for “more than 5 million” meals. All you have to do is say “OK Google, let’s make a chocolate cake.” Or, you can say “Send to Google Home” so that you can view the recipe using the Google Search app on iOS and Android. Either way, Google Assistant on Google Home will walk you through the recipe when it hears relevant commands.

• Amazon Echo vs Amazon Tap vs Echo Dot: What’s the difference?
• Amazon’s Alexa adds Allrecipes skill to help you cook over 60,000 recipes

Say “OK Google, start cooking” to get a break down, and you can say “OK Google, repeat” to hear the last step once more. You can even say “Ok=K Google, what’s step three?” While Google Home could access a few recipes before, this latest update is a dramatic expansion that pulls from several big publishers, including “Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Food Network, and more”, Google explained.

Google said this update will roll out over the coming weeks.